


At Last Glance

by eelora



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Cheesy, Dorks in Love, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:53:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26556163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eelora/pseuds/eelora
Summary: Yaku just wants Kuroo to look at him, the way he looks at Kuroo. But he's always too busy talking about someone else.
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/Yaku Morisuke
Comments: 5
Kudos: 119
Collections: Haikyuu Rarepair Exchange 2020





	At Last Glance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [InDoodle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/InDoodle/gifts).



> This is my gift for the hq rare pair exchange! 
> 
> I used the prompt 'eccedentesiast', so I hope I did it justice!

The school grounds outside are pleasantly warm in the late spring. The seniors of the Nekoma volleyball club, along with Kenma, take up their usual residence under the meagre shade of the largest tree in the schoolyard during lunch break. 

It has been two weeks since the end of the training camp with Karasuno and the other Tokyo schools, but it seems that Kuroo is still riding on the high that the competition had brought in. Namely, a silver-haired setter from Miyagi. 

Kuroo’s infatuation is no different than his past obsessions. Mostly in how he seems to wallow in self-pity, sighing over and over again with a faraway look. As though it did _something_ to help get over a one-sided crush. That, and the rants he would get into as he nitpicked at every flattering detail he could think of.

To Yaku, he sounded like a broken record. 

“He’s cute! And really nice - I could just tell by the way he looked after his kouhai at training camp,” Kuroo grins down at him, a teasing lilt to his tone, “Maybe you could pick up a few hints on how to treat the others? I saw you talking to him a couple times at camp.”

“We were talking because there was a mutual understanding over the pains of cleaning up after our embarrassing kouhai,” Yaku rolls his eyes. “And if I did that, Lev would never improve - he’d just let the praise get to his head.”

“Mm well, you never know. Besides, the way Suga does it just really brought the morale of his team up -” he starts gushing again. Yaku ignores him and continues to pick at his food.

Shovelling rice into his mouth, he makes eye contact with Kenma, who looks back at him curiously. The piercing gaze of the setter seeing far too much beneath his mask. He looks away.

"I know we only talked once or twice, but I really like him… except I think he’s already got a boyfriend,” He sighs wistfully.

Yaku almost believed that it was the end of it, exhaling a soft sigh. But then, Kuroo continues. 

“Ah, you would never understand though - the feeling of liking someone so much that it hurts, and they have absolutely no idea how you feel."

He nearly spits out his last bite as the words punch him right in the stomach and he has to take a moment to remind himself to _breathe_. His heart thumps wildly in his chest as he closes his eyes to calm himself.

3 years. 

3 years and not once has Kuroo looked at him the way he looked at Kenma. Or Bokuto. Or Akaashi. Or even _Daishou_ of all people. Granted, that was back when they were first years - but it still hurt nonetheless. 

"Oi Yakkun, are you even listening?"

Yaku's eyes snap open. Forcing a smile to his face, he practically chokes on a laugh as it bubbles out, "Y-Yeah," he agrees, "I guess not."

"Maybe you will one day," Kuroo hums.

“Maybe,” he echoes. 

His response seems to satisfy Kuroo for the time being. The captain instead turns his attention to Kenma - who has barely made a dent in his bento - leaving Yaku to his thoughts.

Kuroo and Yaku might have started off on the wrong foot when they’d entered Nekoma; Kuroo was bitter about their middle-school clash, and they had plenty of differences. However, putting those differences aside, anyone could see that Kuroo was driven; dedicated and loyal… among other things.

At first he’d thought it was admiration. But he would never be able to pinpoint the exact moment where he had realised his feelings far surpassed that. 

He sighs again - louder this time - and the group falls quiet. Kuroo is immediately on his case, "Whoa there Yakkun. What's got you so sullen?"

Yaku raises his brows, "It was nothing before, but seeing your face sure did the trick." Technically, _not_ a lie.

Kuroo’s expression turns indignant. "Nonsense! My face is absolute perfection…” His sly grin returns as he leans in, brushing a hand across his jaw cockily. “Unless, that's what's got you so down? You’re jealous?"

"As if, rooster head," he reaches out to push Kuroo’s face out of the way.

He gasps, reeling back as though he had been slapped, “Not the face!”

Yaku snorts as he places the lid back on his lunchbox, standing to brush off any dirt and ignore Kuroo’s dramatics, “Come on, lunch is just about over and we should be heading back to class.”

Why his heart had to pick Kuroo of all people, he would never be able to figure out.

*******

Lunch the next day is very much the same, except Kuroo and Yaku are forced to head back to class early to run some errands on behalf of their class. 

Exiting the staff office, they each carry a stack of notebooks that their math teacher had gone through and corrected. Kuroo’s chatters away about upping their training regime over the next few weeks to prepare for the upcoming tournament. Yaku nods along, adding his own input. 

They've just turned the corner from the offices when they walk past one of the second-year classrooms and spot a couple sitting with their desks pushed together. The couple are huddled close, looking at one of their phones and laughing at whatever they were watching. 

"Ah, young love~" Kuroo sounds like a man reminiscing his school days from 30 years ago. 

Yaku scoffs before he can stop himself, "You're only a year older than them."

"Well they're still in their youth, so it _is_ classified as young love," He defends, "Lucky them - to have gotten together."

"Careful, your jealousy is showing."

Kuroo clears his throat, and Yaku regrets having spoken up. “I mean, when you like someone that much, it’s enough for them to even just notice you. Even if they might not feel the same. It's not the greatest feeling when you see couples all cosy together...” 

“This again, Kuroo?” Yaku frowns. At this point, Kuroo was surely making a jab at him. “Do you always have to rub it in my face?”

“Huh?”

“Look, I don’t mean to undermine how much you like someone, except you’ve talked to Sugawara maybe - I don’t know - four or five times? I know you tend to get really fixated on the person you like, but does it really hurt that much? Not having him like you back?” His heart thunders in his chest - a warning to stop himself before he gave too much away. This whole situation was unfair. 

Kuroo adopts a faraway look, mulling over the question. 

“Yeah, it sucks," he eventually answers, "Knowing that someone will never like you back. But you don't want to give up because there's always that small chance of hope lingering there.”

At that, Yaku cracks a smile, cheeks aching with how disguistingly fake it feels. Because deep down he’s exhausted. He knows that feeling all too well. Kuroo was clearly infatuated and his response only served to confirm what he had always thought; he really hadn't ever had a chance. The spark of hope that was on its last embers slowly snuffs out. Kuroo was never going to look at him, the way he looked at Kuroo. 

"I see." Yaku says, sincere. 

"Do you, now?" Whether it was intentional or not, Kuroo sounds far too sarcastic. Mocking him. His mind might have been playing tricks on him in light of the new revelation, so he tries to stamp down the negative feeling as they finally reach their classroom. But the grip of rejection on his heart is too strong. He blinks, a prickling sensation blurring his sight. 

“Yes,” He hisses, “I really do. Don’t just assume things about me.” They enter the room swiftly, with Yaku beelining towards the front desk. He drops his stack of notebooks and turns to Kuroo, “Could you sort these out? I need to run to the bathroom before class starts.”

Turning on his heel, he’s gone before Kuroo can even reply, leaving the other to wonder why Yaku seemed to duck his head as if he were hiding tears.

*******

There's tension in the air as the Nekoma volleyball club begins their afternoon training. 

Even Inuoka stops short of bursting in with his usual puppy-like eagerness, instead choosing to creep in like a child going for the last cookie in the jar. 

The team had already put up the nets by the time Yaku slips in to join them. He mutters an apology, but no one really minded as Nekomata had yet to arrive himself. 

Kuroo runs some warm-up drills in the meantime, leading the team through some stretches before taking a page out of Karasuno’s books and having them do diving laps around the gym. 

Not even halfway through the first lap, Lev begins to complain about bruised knees and elbows. At this point, Yaku would usually cut in to tell him off for having poor form, however, the libero stays silent, continuing on with the dive drill and pulling ahead of everyone else. 

Taketora is instead the one who slaps him upside the head with a harsh whisper to keep quiet. Everyone else had clearly picked up on the fact that their team mum was _upset_ about something.

The rest of the team take their turns to ~~glare~~ stare at him questioningly. As if to say it were up to him to fix the issue before it escalated. Kenma also gives him a pointed look, nose scrunching in irritation as he approaches him.

He points his finger at him, poking him in the chest. “Your fault,” is all he says, “Go talk to him.”

With Kenma's disappointment clearly being directed at him, Kuroo caves in quickly. 

Of course Kenma would have an idea of what was going on. That, and he can’t shake the image of Yaku’s disheartened expression from his mind. Coming to the realisation that he's the reason the libero is off his game, he sighs. He approaches the other - he has to fix this. "Hey Yakkun. Can we talk for a moment? Outside?"

Yaku rises from his crouched position to face him wearily. He takes a look around as everyone else conspicuously averts their gaze. He huffs, eventually nodding. “Alright, fine.” 

The pair make their way out of the gym, ignoring how everyone watches as they leave. They moved behind the building so that it was more private. 

Kuroo takes a moment to assess how tired Yaku looks. As though something he’d been holding onto for years and years had finally weighed down on him. Remorse bubbles in his gut. Yaku had been completely fine up until they’d had that conversation at the end of lunch.

The libero seems uncomfortable, but he cracks a barely-there smile. Whether it was to reassure Kuroo or himself; the captain wasn’t sure. “So? You had something to say?”

"If I offended you with what I said before class, I'm sorry." Kuroo voices.

“It’s fine, there’s nothing to apologise for. I lost my temper first.” He responds with a slight grin. They fall silent, and it’s clear that Kuroo has nothing else to say. Yaku turns on his heel, preparing to go back inside.

Kuroo stops him; the words tumbling out before he can leave. "The truth is… I don't like Sugawara."

Yaku freezes. He can’t say that he isn’t surprised. With how much Kuroo had harped on about him. But he still has his doubts, "Then who? Is it still Akaashi? Are you upset because he's already with Bokuto?"

"No, I never had a crush on Akaashi either. Or Bokuto for that matter."

"You always talked about them though. You were always looking at _them_. I don’t get it. Are you saying you’ve been lying the whole time?"

"What? No! I was _never_ looking at them! I was looking at you!" 

Yaku feels his mouth drop open. Had he heard that correctly? His face must have twisted into some sort of expression, because Kuroo quickly continues. 

“I… didn’t lie the first few times - in our first year,” Kuroo states, “But then, I _noticed_ you. You and I were always arguing though, so I thought I didn’t stand a chance.” 

Yaku looks away from him, doing his best to stamp down any possibility of hope. But he needed clarification - he needed to know, “...What do you mean, Kuroo?”

“It’s you. The person I like… it’s _you_. I thought I could… I don’t know, get you to notice me back?”

“Well, how am I supposed to know you were trying to get _my_ attention? You keep parading around talking about liking someone else!” Yaku raises his voice reflexively. Kuroo flinches back, expression full of guilt, and Yaku wills himself to breathe - exhaling slowly. “Am I supposed to be mad, or happy?” 

“I’d much prefer if you were happy, but I understand if you’re mad,” A hand comes up to rub at the back of his neck, “I’m really sorry Yakkun - I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

Yaku sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. How _could_ he be mad when Kuroo acted so unfairly cute? His heart raced - because this was his chance. Kuroo was offering it to him on a silver platter. Three years. Three years, and Kuroo had actually noticed _him_. 

Mustering up all of his courage, he boldly takes a step forward and leans into Kuroo's space. Peering straight into his eyes. 

The reaction is immediate. Kuroo sputters, a red flush spreading across his face. He tries to cover it with his hands, “Yakkun! What are you -” he can’t even finish his sentence.

“You’d think a mackerel-eating dork like you would have plenty of docosahexaenoic acid to help that little brain of yours," Yaku states, reaching up to pull Kuroo down by the collar of his shirt. "But _clearly_ you need an extra dose of oxytocin to fire up those nerve cells.”

He leans in the rest of the way, lips fumbling to find Kuroo's. 

There’s nothing magical about it - kissing Kuroo. It’s painfully awkward and he has no idea what he’s supposed to be doing, but then Kuroo has his arms wrapped around him and pulls him closer. The press of his insistent lips spread like wildfire through his body, leaving Yaku with barely any strength to find his footing. 

It’s an adrenaline rush. It feels like the last point; the immense pressure to make that connection with the ball. It's like that final spike - the lead up to that final moment the ball touches the court on the other side. It feels like winning.

They part, taking deep breaths. 

“Uh,” Kuroo clears his throat, a blush still high on his cheeks. “ _Wow._ ”

Yaku can feel the heat on his own face. “I figured a science nerd like you would like that.” It was cheesy, and any other day Yaku would be too embarrassed to say it. But it had worked.

“Marry me,” Kuroo grasps his hands tightly. 

Yaku purses his lips together, but ultimately loses and breaks out into a grin. He laughs, genuine, “No way! You’ve got three years’ worth of apologies to make first! You think it hurt because you thought I didn't like you back? Well I've had to deal with pretending to like everyone _but_ me!”

Kuroo pouts, but his eyes brighten at his jest, “Okay, fine. That’s fair. First apology - I’ll carry you everywhere to help you reach the tall shelves. How about that?” He makes a point to sweep him up into his arms. 

Yaku immediately thrashes around, wondering just how much he would regret what he’d said. “Kuroo, put me down, or I swear -”

Footsteps quickly approach and round the corner, as if summoned by the commotion.

“Hey, Nekomata - _Oh_!” Inuouka’s surprise morphs into a sly expression. Swiftly, he turns and runs off in the direction of the gyms. From their position, they can faintly hear him cheering, “GUYS~! Mum and dad finally got together! You all owe me and Kenma ¥500!”

Yaku wiggles in his hold once more before Kuroo finally sets him back down, “Kenma definitely set this up so that he’d win.”

He nods, wrinkling his nose. “Definitely,” He turns around to face Kuroo. “As their parents, we should probably go in there and teach them the consequences of gambling.”

Kuroo blinks, catching on, “Oya? That sounds like a plan.” He holds out his hand for Yaku to take, “Shall we, wifey?”

Yaku rolls his eyes - he was never going to get rid of the ‘team mum’ label. Nonetheless, he takes Kuroo’s hand in his, fingers intertwined as he gives an experimental swing, “We shall, husband.”

As they walk back towards the gym, Kuroo's gaze falls onto Yaku, watching the way his whole face lights up when he smiles. His heart warms at the sight. 

This is Yaku's happy smile. He _knows_. Because he’d had that exact smile on his face when Kuroo had realised just how truly, madly, irrevocably in love he was for Yaku Morisuke. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed this little piece of rare pair cheesiness!


End file.
